Printing or stamping ink



PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES M. HIGGINS, OF BROOKLYN, NEIV YORK.

PRINTING OR STAMPING INK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 437,781, dated OctoberApplication filed March 17, 1890.

Serial No. 344,208. (Specimens.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES M. HIGGINS, a citizen of the United States,residing in Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Printing or StampingInks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention applies more especially to inks for hand-stamps of rubberor metal and for type-writers and other small printing-niachines where anon-drying ink is required which will last indefinitely on the inkingdevice without drying or hardening, and yet give a good impression,whether used occasionally or constantly. As is well known, all inks atpresent used for these purposes are of either of two classes, the one ofwhich consists of glycerine holding aniline colors in solution, theother being formed of a fatty, waxy, or oily vehicle having permanentpigments or analine colors incorporated therewith in more or less pastyform, but not existing in a state of solution with the unctuous vehicle.The objection to the glycerine inks is that the vehicle is perfectlysoluble in water and very hygroscopic, or susceptible to atmosphericmoisture, so that the ink is continually influenced by the relativemoisture or dryness of the air, which is a constant element ofirregularity in the inking and printing action, causing the ink to printtoo freely on a moist day and too feebly on a very dry day, whichbecomes quite objectionable in type-writing and similar machines.Another serious objection to the glycerine inks is that as both thevehicle and pigment of the ink are intensely soluble in water the inkdoes not dry or set quickly on the paper and will blur or smudge veryeasily in contact with moisture or with the fingers of the manipulator.The objection to the fatty or unctuous inks is that they are onlymechanical mixtures of the coloring-matter with the vehicle and do nothold the color in solution in the vehicle, and hence lack fluidity andsmoothness and fine distributing qualities and print in a heavy blurredmanner, besides lacking good lasting qualities on the inking device.

These objections have recently created a strong demand for an improvedink which will entirely dispense with the glycerine vehicle or anyvehicle .soluble in water or affected by atmospheric moisture, but whichshall employ instead an oily or unctuous vehicle which shall hold thecoloring-matter in actual solution and yet be non-drying or capable oflasting indefinitely in a soft state upon the inking device, thoughexposed freely to the air, and at the same time the ink should dry orset quickly when printed on the paper and not be liable to blur or smutby contact.

My invention consists in an improved ink possessing the above-namedcharacteristics, produced by dissolving aniline or other colors in theessential oils obtained from the well-known spices-such as cloves,cinnamon, or allspiceas hereinafter set forth.

It appears that hardly any of the ordinary known fixed animal,vegetable, or mineral oils have any dissolving power on the aniline orother colors suitable for inks. A few of them will dissolve a very smallpercentage of some of the aniline colors, but not sufficient for thepurpose of such an ink as my invention contemplates. I have discovered,however, that the basis of several of these oilsoleic acidwhen isolatedforms a powerful solvent for some of the aniline colors, particularlymethylviolet, as set forth in a separate application for patent. I havealso found that the essential oils of the common spices, more especiallycloves, cinnamon, and allspice, are perfect solvents for most of theaniline colors and some other coloring-matters, and while technicallyvolatile oils I find that they are the least volatile of the series andare practically fixed and will form a non-drying oily or unctuous inkholding the color in absolute solution and having great lastingqualities on the inking device. These spice-oils have a much greaterrange of solubility than the oleic acid-that is, will dissolve a greatervariety of colors. Thus the oil of cloves will dissolve the violets,several of the blues, green crystals, several of the reds, yellows, andother colors. It will also perfectly dissolve Chinese blue and partlydissolve carmine and ultramarine blue. The oil of cinnamon will actabout the same as the oil of cloves, except that it is a much poorersolvent for the green and a better solvent for the yellow. The oil ofallspice is not to be preferred to either of the others for any of thecolors except the reds. Oil of black pepper is a good solvent fororange.

In making a violet ink, therefore, I would take oil of cloves or oil ofcinnamon and stir into the same methyl violet in powdered, lump, orgranular form and allow the same to remain until thoroughly dissolved,stirring occasionally. These oils will dissolve almost one-third oftheir weight of violet, forming a liquid oily ink of intensecoloring-power, and they will make a strong solution whether used hot orcold; but the solution will be effected more rapidly if made in the hotoil. The ink thus made is admirably adapted for typewriters, as it lastsindefinitely on the inking device without drying and is entirelyunaffected by the condition of the air and is proof to moisture. It willbe absorbed evenly by the pad, roller. ribbon, or other inking device,will distribute very smoothly on the types or stamps, and give a strongand sharp impression on the paper. The impression will dry or set almostimmediately on the paper and bear contact without blurring, because thevehicle is insoluble in water and the color is in actual solution inthis vehicle. As, however, the color is intensely soluble in water, aperfect press-copy of the impression can be obtained in the usualmanner. This same ink can also be used for rubber stamps with greatadvantage.

I find that While oil of cloves and oil of cinnamon-leaf will act onrubber energetically if left long in contact therewith, yet, strange tosay, the oil of cinnamon-bark (cassia) has no action on rubber. Hencefor rubber stamps which rest normally against the inking-pad the inkshould be made with the oil of cassia. For stamps which are detachedfrom their pads and only temporarily pressed thereon the ink can be madeof eitherof the other oils.

To make a green ink, I dissolve green crystals in the oil of cloves,preferably hot, although a very strong solution can be made cold. Any ofthe different greens known as green crystals can be used, and willdissolve freely in the oil of cloves. The oil of cinnamon should not beused, as it can dissolve only a small part of the green. The amount ofgreen used will of course depend on the strength of the ink desired; butthe oil of cloves will dissolve nearly one-third of its Weight beforereaching the point of saturation. This will form an intense green .oilyink having great lasting power on the inking device, non-smutting whenprinted, very even in its impression, brilliant in color, and givesagood press-copy. Sometimes I prefer to add a portion of oleic acid tothis green ink, about one-third to one-quarter of its bulk, whichcheapens it Without detracting from its good qualities. The sameaddition may be made to the violet ink made with the oil of cloves orcinnamon.

A blue ink may be produced by mixing the ink made with the methyl-violetwith the ink made from the green crystals, the relative proportions ofthe violet and green inks determin-' ing the shade of blue desired.

Ablack ink can be produced by mixing the violet with the yellow ororange inks.

A permanent blue ink may be obtained by dissolving Chinese blue in oilof cloves, in which it dissolves and forms a useful ink for manypurposes.

The solution of some of the aniline colors may sometimes be assisted bymoistening the colors with alcohol before adding the oils; but onlyinsome cases will this be necessary for instance, with primrose-yellow anda few others.

It is not of course necessary to specify all the pigments that may beused, as any suitable pigment may be employed, and this will vary withthe color and purpose of the ink required.

Carbon may of course be incorporated with any of the above-namedmixtures.

In using oil of cloves either the oil of the buds or the stems may beused, and either the oil of the leaf or the bark of the cinnamon can beemployed.

WVhat I claim as my invention is-v 1. A printing or stamping inkcomposed of an essential oil of the spices described, combined with ananiline color or dye dissolved therein, substantially as herein setforth.

2. A printing or stamping ink formed of oil of cloves and analine-greencrystals dissolved therein, substantially as herein set forth.

CHAS. M. HIGGINS.

\Vitnesses:

J NO. E. GAVIN, FRED. WHITE.

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